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Eastern and Western traditions meet on Oahu, where savvy shoppers find luxury goods at high-end malls and scout tiny boutiques and galleries filled with pottery, blown glass, woodwork, and Hawaiian-print clothing by local artists. This blend of cultures is pervasive in the wide selection of spas as well. Hawaiian lomilomi and hot-stone massages are as omnipresent as the orchid and plumeria flowers decorating every treatment room.
Exploring downtown Honolulu, Kailua on the windward side, and the North Shore often yields the most original merchandise. Some of the small stores carry imported clothes and gifts from around the world—a reminder that, on this island halfway between Asia and the United States, shopping is a multicultural experience.
If you're getting a massage at a spa, there's a spiritual element to the lomilomi that calms the soul while the muscles release tension. During a hot-stone massage, smooth rocks, taken from the earth with permission from Pele, the goddess of volcanoes, are heated and placed at focal points on the body. Others are covered in oil and rubbed over tired limbs, feeling like powerful fingers. For an alternative, refresh skin with mango scrubs so fragrant they seem edible. Savor the unusual sensation of bamboo tapped against the arches of the feet. Indulge in a scalp massage that makes the entire body tingle. Day spas provide additional options to the self-indulgent services offered in almost every major hotel on the island.
Founded by local entrepreneurs Jillian Corn and Hunter Long (who is also a professional skateboarder), Keep It Simple strives to promote a healthier planet by selling high-quality natural, organic, and/or vegan items with minimal (or zero) packaging. Look for sustainable beauty and bath products; beachwear, cover-ups, and accessories; and items for the kitchen and elsewhere in the home.
A place to find unusual art, this women-owned gallery hosts changing exhibitions and events showcasing works by designers and artists from near and far. It also offers interior design services and carries small and large home items you won't find anywhere else in Honolulu. There's a daily rotation of local eateries at its café.
Local, sustainably made specialty items fill the shelves of this small boutique in the Wai Kai complex, which features men’s and women’s clothing, children’s gifts, and upscale souvenirs.
